REVIEW

The 18th album from UK shoegaze/trip-hop duo SPC ECO.

The project is led by former Curve member Dean Garcia and his daughter Rose Berlin, with Rose on vocals and Dean handling bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, FX, and programming. Longtime collaborator Jarek Leskiewicz also contributes drone keyboards, space guitars, and FX.

Their signature blend of dream pop, shoegaze, and trip-hop remains intact, but this release leans further into a darker tonal spectrum. Swirling basslines and low-end heavy beats amplify a sense of confinement, while Rose’s vocals shift between melancholy restraint and fragile elegance, closely intertwined with the instrumentation.

The first half unfolds with restrained, weightless textures, before a clear pivot at #4 “Hello,” where the record gradually intensifies in darkness. The rhythm section grows heavier, and an uneasy atmosphere becomes constant. The album reaches its peak on #9 “The Light Night,” where droning, viscous guitars take over the space, creating a sensation of being submerged in near-total darkness. From the “Hello” opening part, the record unfolds a spiral of nocturnal unease, where solitude and doubt steadily intensify into psychological drift. In terms of sheer darkness, this stands among the most intense entries in their discography.

Compared to the more mellow, dreamier companion release Trust What You Love from the same year, the contrast is striking and clarifies the intent behind both records. Born in 1958, Dean Garcia continues to show no decline in creative momentum, entering a late-career phase defined by sustained output—he has already released a 20th album in January 2026. His ongoing trajectory remains worth following.

This release is available exclusively via Bandcamp.